Are you already looking forward to the holidays, but don't want to spend a fortune on Christmas decorations this year? Then we have a tip! Around November, the Christmas departments in thrift shops open up full of treasures you can score for next to nothing! Not only the nostalgic items come by - like those vintage baubles you remember from the old days - but you can also find brand new second-hand Christmas stuff for a few cents. Thrift Christmas shops are perfect for a sustainable and budget-friendly Christmas! Go go go!
Second-hand Christmas decorations at the thrift shop
Thrift shops collect Christmas items throughout the year, only to display them during the Christmas season. Around late October or early November, most ‘Christmas departments’ of many thrift shops open. And you really will find everything from baubles and lights to complete Father Christmases that make sounds. At thrift shop De Boem in Amstelveen is even someone working full-time all year collecting and sorting Christmas stuff! And don't worry if you go a bit later in the festive month: new items are being brought in and put in the shop all the time this period, because it is precisely in the December month that people decide to clear out their Christmas collection.
The cutest second-hand Christmas items from the thrift store
Wondering what goodies you can find? Here's what we turned up during our scavenger hunt for a sustainable Christmas:
Second-hand baubles and Christmas decorations
At the thrift shop, you will find baubles and decorations in all colours and styles, suitable for every taste. Whether you like black, green, gold, silver, red, purple or pink, vintage or simple plastic balls for an upcycle project, here you can go all out. Garlands, beaded necklaces, and other decorations, check, you'll find those too. And the funny thing: the baubles cost a fraction of the new price. In the shop in Amstelveen, you pay between 20 and 60 cents per bauble, depending on the size. Great!
Second-hand Christmas stuff at the thrift store: a second-hand artificial Christmas tree on the left and a Christmas jumper for less than three euros on the right.
Second-hand artificial Christmas tree
The most sustainable Christmas tree? A second-hand artificial Christmas tree! This will give you years of Christmas tree enjoyment during the holidays without having to buy a new tree every year. Because a Christmas tree has a considerable environmental impact, unfortunately. Many real trees are grown with artificial fertilisers and pesticides and end up as waste after the holidays. Moreover, transport from the nursery to your living room is not free of emissions either. Fortunately, there are more sustainable alternatives, such as an artificial Christmas tree that you buy once and then display for years to come. And you will find plenty of those at the thrift store!
Second-hand Christmas lights
Cosy lights for the dark days can - you guessed it - also be found at the thrift store. With a bit of luck, Christmas lights are often waiting for you in piles. But beware: there are also many old halogen bulbs among them. Our advice is to leave those out and look for LED lights (they often have them too). In fact, LED bulbs are eight times more economical than halogen, not only making Christmas greener, but also keeping your energy bills down. So, have a good dig around in those bins, and who knows, you might score a durable set of mood lights for next to nothing.
Christmas decorations for Christmas arrangements, as well as original Christmas decorations and baubles in all colours can be found at the thrift shop.
Decorations for Christmas arrangements
If you have children in primary school, then you can already see that invitation to make a Christmas arrangement coming! Luckily, you don't have to pay top dollar for everything they need for this craft, as the thrift store offers bins full of cheap decorations. Think pine cones on a stick, mini Christmas balls on toothpicks and small candles. In short, everything you need to get creative with oasis, and budget-friendly too!
Candles
Fond of candles? At the thrift store, you can make your move now! You will find plenty of beautiful candles, often in the most beautiful colours and from well-known brands. Some candles are still brand new in their packaging. Enough to decorate your home this winter and beyond atmospheric lighting! Unfortunately, not all candles are equally eco-friendly, which is hard to check in the kirngloop. You can read more about the environmental impact of candles and sustainable alternatives here.
Merry Christmas jumper
Smile. For the Christmas party, you can find the perfect wrong Christmas jumper at a thrift store for as little as two or three euros. From bright red jumpers with reindeer and even ones with lights: this way you are guaranteed to arrive festive and budgetproof for the day!
Christmas cards
Are you still part of the Christmas card tradition? Right you are! Surprisingly, you can often find beautiful Christmas cards in thrift shops, plain and with festive envelopes attached. A good search won't hurt, because among the unique finds, you may also find some tacky copies or really old cards that are a bit yellowed. For those who plan to send a lot of cards: you can even find complete boxes with which you immediately have enough cards for the whole family and your neighbourhood. Write them!
Are you also going for second-hand Christmas decorations?
Christmas is often all about buying, buying, buying - and lots of bells and whistles. But it can be done differently! Buy those bells and whistles second-hand, because there are already so many Christmas decorations in the world. And you can find them at the charity shop. With second-hand Christmas stuff, you can really make the holidays your own. From nostalgic baubles and atmospheric lights to the wrong Christmas jumper and piles of Christmas cards, you will find everything you need for a festive and green December. Have fun with your finds and have a very happy, sustainable Christmas!
More holiday tips from thegreenlist.nl
- Also see: 6 x zero waste packing tips.
- Also see: This is how to create a beautiful dinner table for Christmas without spending a penny.
Photo credits: thegreenlist.nl. Sources: Milieu Centraal, Milieu Centraal.
